Environment in big cities is poor and harmful to health
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The environment in the country's major cities is poor condition and adversely affects the population's health, a report says.
The 2003 State of the Environment Report in Indonesia released by the Office of the State Minister of the Environment on Tuesday says that the quality of air and water is generally poor, while that of the country's pristine woodlands, water and its biodiversity has decreased over the past year.
Data collected from five major cities revealed that urban populations inhale polluted air that contains toxic materials above the tolerable level of 150 microgram/m3.
"Jakarta has 57 days per year when the quality of air exceeds the level, followed by Pekanbaru's 40 days per year, Pontianak's 28, Palangkaraya's 17 and Bandung's 10," the report says.
As a result, the risk of Indonesian urban populations having health problems is 12.8 times greater than those who reside in cities with less gas-emitting motor vehicles.
The previous report showed that as a result of lead pollution, the IQ of children decreased every year.
As to water, the report says the population lacks access to clean water either due to drought or heavy pollution.
Research on the quality of water that runs through West Java's main rivers -- Citarum, Cisadane, Ciliwung, Cileungsi and Cimanuk -- found that it has been polluted with Coliform bacteria above the tolerable level of 2,000 units per 100 millimeter.
It also says that almost all rivers in the country have been polluted from upstream.
"Because rivers are the usual source of water, consumers are susceptible to communicable diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, skin problems and hepatitis," the report says.
The report attributes water pollution to industrial and agricultural activities as well as domestic waste.
Similar woes also afflict marine life, which has deteriorated over the years.
"Surveys at 52 spots show that 70 percent of our coral reefs are in bad shape due to the use of explosives and trawlers for fishing, hazardous materials from the shore and tourist activities," the report says.
Indonesia is home to 42,000 square kilometers, or 16.5 percent, of the world's coral reefs.
The country also recorded a decrease in mangrove forests from 72,330 hectares in the 1980-1990 period to 60,070 hectares in the 1990-2000 period.
The pace of illegal logging has reached a worrisome level and inflicts severe losses on the state, says the report.
"In 2001, 56.98 million hectares of woodlands were deforested. Total losses from the illegal activity in 2002 was Rp 30.42 trillion," the report says.
Aside from the material losses, forest destruction resulted in a greater frequency of natural disasters. "In 2003, landslides occurred in 111 locations in 13 provinces. Central Java and West Java had the most, respectively with 48 and 33 landslides," it says.
Environmental destruction has also contributed to the extinction of rare species. "In February 2003, 90 types of vegetation and 176 animal species were on the brink of extinction," the report says, quoting a finding from research jointly conducted by Indonesian, Dutch, Japanese and British scientists.
State Minister of the Environment Rachmat Witoelar said that the report could help the government draw up an environmentally friendly development plan.
"This could serve as a solid foundation for a environment- aware government," he said.